How to apply Irish visa (Republic of Ireland) for Indians!

It does not matter if you are a first-time traveler out of your country or a frequent traveller, we all have to go through the tedious job of applying for a visa to certain countries (Thanks to our Indian passport!) and wait to get it approved. Some opt to get assistance from travel agents whereas few like to DIY ;).

So, here are few tips and guides on how to apply for an Irish Tourist visa, if you are planning to travel to the Republic of Ireland (South Ireland) for a short stay:

First, make a checklist of following supporting documents which are required to be submitted along with your valid passport and fully filled visa application form.

Passport: A valid passport with a minimum of two empty pages, which has validity for the next 6 months.

Photograph: The photos submitted along with the application form must be clicked against a white background (size: 45-50mm in height and 35-38mm in width) and must not be more than 6 months old.

Cover letter: Addressed to the Irish Consulate/ Visa Officer briefing about the purpose of your visit, duration of your stay in Ireland.

Travel and accommodation details:

Confirmation of the two-way flight tickets.

Confirmed hotel booking throughout your stay.

Travel itinerary (Optional)

Financial statement: A valid attested copy of your bank statement showing the last three months transactions and adequate balance to support you during your travel. Also, a copy of last three years IT returns.

Employment details: A letter from your employer regarding your leave of absence, your employment letter (Optional) or memorandum or any another supporting document to show that you are part of an organization.

Once you have all the supporting documents go to the VFS Global Ireland Website (click here) and fill out the online application and print it out.

Next, book an appointment at your nearest VFS office wherein you have to submit the signed application form along with the supporting documents and also go through the biometric test.

Usually, it takes about 7 working to receive the processed visa. After the submission, a tracking ID is provided via email/ text message through which you can check for updates on Visa status.

Please do note that one must apply for the Irish Visa at least 15 days prior to the travel dates. Once the Visa is approved for the Short Term travel, the Visa is valid up to 30 days from the date of arrival depending on the type of visa (single or multiple entries).

The fees for Irish visa for single entry is Rs. 4100 and for multiple entries is Rs. 6800. Additional to the visa fees, one will also have to pay service charges of Rs. 1655 while attending for the biometric test/ document submission at the visa application center.

We hope our short visa application guide is helpful for you guys while planning your trip to Ireland. Do let us know your thoughts on the post on the comment below. Also if you have already been to Ireland please share your tips and thoughts on this topic.

Really helpful information regarding the Visa Process.Dint know, that we had to submit prev 3 years IT Return statements.What if I am not in the criteria for filing ITR and the expenses are footed by my parents?